All-region XBox DVD/Media playing?

[vertigo]

Is this possible without putting a chip in it?
I have almost no need for a chip, apart from to make it all-region DVD, although possibly it would be better to be able to watch any video file on it instead of having to convert and burn everything to a correctly formatted DVD. I'm not interested in playing emulators or pirated games on it, but don't want all my save files to go down the ****ter by sticking a chip on there, so if I could keep the default HD in there and have a chip that can be switched off, that'd be nice.
I know next to nothing about XBox chips so don't tech me up too hard with the lingo. I do, however, have the ability to fit one myself and am not an electronics spaz.
I have heard that there's a semi-easy one you can get that clips on over the top of one of the chips and then there's just a few wires to solder, instead of about 57 million wires like the first ones that came out. What is this, how much is it, who can supply it, etc?
I don't want to buy a multi-region DVD player if I can help it, if it's cheaper and easier to make the XBox do it.
Please enlighten me and recommend the best option.
Thanks.

[martwho]

Xecuter 2.6 is what you want mate - they cost about ?20 , they come preflashed with a bios , you can switch it off if you want to go on xbox live , it is easy to install as you just solder in a pin header , the chip sits on top of the pin header and then you solder 3 wires , usually these instructions come with the chip but all instructions can be found on the team xecuter website.
I have fitted a number of these and in my opinion are by far the safest and most reliable of the modchips for the xbox you could get a flashy x3 or one of these solderless jobbies but they are easy to fit but if you ever drop or knock your xbox they could pop off(probably wont but not worth the risk)
Just do a search for xecuter 2.6ce in the u.k and a load of sites will pop up!
Hope this helps!
Martin.

[nonny]

Or Soft-Mod and Xbox Media Center.

Takes 5mins to do the install, no need to even open the Xbox... easy.

[vertigo]

Can I get the old everything back if I do that?
Any dangers that it'll fry my XBox and I'll end up with a very large brick?